Social Media Users' Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery and The Affecting Factors

Objective: This study aims to determine social media users’ acceptance of cosmetic surgery and the factors affecting it. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between April and July 2022 with 454 participants living in Türkiye who actively used social media. Data were collected using the Personal Information Questionnaire and the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS).Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.68 ± 9.93 years. The mean score for the social media users’ACSS was found to be 58.04 ± 22.55. The mean sub-dimension scores were found to be: 23.70 ± 8.84 for the Intrapersonal Dimension; 14.85 ± 8.64 for the Social Dimension; and 19.48 ± 8.09 for the Consider Dimension. Participants who spent eight hours or more per day on social media, followed cosmetic surgeons on social media, always used filters when sharing photos, had previously undergone cosmetic surgery, and wanted to have further procedures were found to have significantly higher ACSS scores (p < .05).Conclusion: The study showed that social media users have a high level of acceptance of cosmetic surgery and that social media time, following cosmetic surgeons, filter usage, and previous cosmetic surgery experience increase this level. The findings reveal that individuals may develop different expectations due to the influence of social media and may need psychosocial support. Therefore, nurses should provide comprehensive and individualized care by assessing individuals’ body image, self-esteem, and surgical expectations; they can increase compliance with the surgical process by supporting psychological preparation and contribute to quality of life by strengthening postoperative body image acceptance.